Forest fires in Germany: Is there a risk of firefighting aircraft being used?

Forest fires in Germany: Is there a risk of firefighting aircraft being used?

Many municipalities in Germany see themselves challenged in the fight against the impending forest fires. The fire brigade is concerned with finding the right extinguishing methods in order to be prepared for the coming hot months. Current information shows that firefighting aircraft, which are often used in other countries, are only available to a limited extent in this country.

As [MDR](https://www.mdr.de/nachrichten/deutschland/panorama/waldbrand-loeschen-loesch plane-helikopter-100~amp.html) reports, Germany is the only country in Europe that does not provide a significant fleet of firefighting aircraft. Only the Harz district can boast a firefighting aircraft operated by a private provider from Poland. While the major fire experienced last year with the use of four fixed-wing aircraft clearly demonstrated the need for these aircraft, current developments show that the costs of operating firefighting aircraft represent a major hurdle. In 2025, the operation of firefighting aircraft in Braunschweig was stopped due to high costs - just one deployment per year was simply not enough.

The situation of the fire departments

The fire brigades in Germany bear the main responsibility for fighting fires. This responsibility lies in the hands of the municipalities, which take care of equipping and paying the fire department. In the districts, however, regional fire protection is organized. Saxony has decided to rely more on helicopters, which can be used more flexibly and in a variety of ways, including for police tasks. Helicopters can carry up to 900 liters of water and require less space to refuel than aircraft that have to fly to large bodies of water - a saving that can be particularly crucial in time-critical firefighting.

Air support plays a key role, particularly with climate change forecasts pointing to increasingly dry growing seasons. [Feuerwehrmagazin](https://www.feuerwehrmagazin.de/wissen/bedarfen-deutsche-feuerwehren-loesch Flugzeuge-82254) highlights that smaller firefighting aircraft such as the PZL M-18 Dromader, which can hold 2,200 liters of water and are inexpensive to operate, could be a good addition. Experts advocate a public-private partnership to create a fire-fighting aircraft squadron that could effectively fight emerging fires without putting an undue burden on municipal coffers.

New developments in Lower Saxony

A glimmer of hope on the horizon is the recent establishment of a fire-fighting aircraft unit in Lower Saxony, which is part of the EU's expansion program for civil protection. As [BBK](https://www.bbk.bund.de/SharedDocs/Kurzmeldeen/DE/2023/06/om-29-loesch planes-waldbrandbekaempfung.html) reports, two firefighting aircraft from the unit were presented at Braunschweig-Wolfsburg Airport. State and federal officials discussed the need for this addition to vegetation fire suppression. This approach could represent a groundbreaking model for other federal states to close the existing gaps in air support.

In sum, the situation surrounding the firefighting planes and helicopters in Germany deserves a leap of faith. Coordination between different aircraft and strategic handling in the early stages of fires are crucial. Saxony would also like to plan to purchase new firefighting helicopters, while higher institutional support is required. However, as long as the alert channels and the regulations for covering the costs of air support are inadequate, the need for action remains high.

The path to a better fire protection strategy can only be achieved together, and it remains to be seen how the coming months will affect the forest fire situation.